


Fourth Bartlet Daughter, The

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Children, Drama, Episode: s05e09 Abu el Banat, Family, Holidays, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-02-24
Updated: 2008-02-24
Packaged: 2019-05-31 09:28:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15116558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: "I have to draw the line on a life of crime.  Sorry kiddo."





	Fourth Bartlet Daughter, The

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: I want to know more and more about Annie Westin. She intrigues me so I have decided to explore. This is for teungawaka2003, who wondered aloud how my Annie came out to her parents.  


* * *

Abbey was tired, mentally and physically. Jed was off somewhere with Gus doing grandfather things, trying his best not to think about the syringe in the nightstand. Liz and Doug were stewing over the House of Representatives rebuff. They would probably end up leaving in the morning but Abbey would not stop them. This was not home and the holidays were not for another three weeks. Abbey would have a serious talk with her daughter if the fracture remained when they returned to Manchester for Christmas.

Ellie was in the West Wing still. She confided in her mother that she was going to say hello to Toby Ziegler. It had been some time since she had seen him and recent events in her life made her think of him, or something like that. Abbey didn’t know what that meant but she smiled and kissed her daughter’s cheek before sending her on her way. Zoey was off to find Charlie…she had a Christmas present for him. If she was up to something, she had better hope her father didn’t catch her. 

Sometimes he still pictured his daughters as little girls. Elizabeth, the oldest; self sufficient, over efficient. A middle-aged woman trapped in a little girl’s body. Eleanor, so quiet they had to keep a watchful eye to make sure she had not wandered away. With her chestnut brown pigtails and the pouty bottom lip that she always chewed on whenever she somehow found herself in conversation with her father.

Zoey, their baby, so full of life even in the womb. A whirling dervish with red hair and her father’s eyes. The three girls, as different as dawn, late afternoon, and closing time. They seemed to have nothing in common but the man and woman whose intense love for each other brought them into the world. The ringing phone snatched Abbey out of her thoughts. She wanted to let it go, she was not in the mood to be sociable, but something in her told her to answer.

“Hello.”

“Hi grandma.”

“Annie, my love. I'm so glad its you.”

“How are you?”

“Just fine darling. Well, I'm tired and ready to come home for a while but other than that…I heard about the eyebrow ring.”

“What do you mean?”

“You have your eyebrow pierced. Your father said you had a swim meet and Liz said you had a hole in your face. You're in a bit of trouble with your mother.”

“Is that what they told you?” Annie asked.

“Yes. Did they leave something out?”

“A pretty big something. Yeah, I know mom’s peeved about the eyebrow ring but you only have to be 17 in the state of New Hampshire to do it without your parents’ permission. I did that after Thanksgiving…she’s had time to get used to it. My swim meet was last weekend.”

“Your mother thinks the piercing could be detrimental to your father’s possible Congressional run.” Abbey said.

“Daddy wouldn’t win if he ran uncontested. No one likes him.”

The First Lady stifled her laughter. It must be sad to have your own children see through you. Of course, seeing through Doug Westin was not difficult since he had absolutely no substance. He was not even interesting enough to be boring.

“That is not a nice thing to say about your father.” She would play disciplinarian as she had when Jed’s political aspirations angered their daughters. She heard her granddaughter laugh.

“How about we don’t talk about daddy at all; that suits me fine.”

“Alright. What do you want to talk about?”

“Well, there is something that I need to tell you. It’s sort of the reason that I'm not there, but it has nothing to do with the eyebrow ring.”

“I'm starting to figure that out Annie. What's the matter?”

“I like girls, grandma. I like girls and I finally told my parents. They told me that I could not come to Washington. I was supposed to do an interview with Girl Magazine next month but my mother canceled it because she feared that I would tell the world I'm a lesbian and she would not be able to show her face at the country club. She doesn’t want anyone thinking that my attraction to women is due to something she lacked as a mother.”

“Oh, I see.”

“I know it must be upsetting grandma, and I am so sorry to do this now. This year has been crazy for the whole family; I definitely don’t want to make it worse just as it’s almost over. If you could just find it in your heart to…”

“Oh no. No, no, no.” Abbey was shaking her head but Annie could not see that over the phone. “You do not need to do that speech with me. I will love you no matter what and I am not saying that to be PC. You are my first born grandchild and you couldn’t do anything to make me love you any less.”

“So, you'll have my back when Dale and I hop into her car and head off into the sunset like Bonnie and Clyde?”

Dale Prescott had been Annie’s best friend since the sixth grade. They were thicker than thieves. Abbey suddenly wondered if anything happened between them during those many sleepovers at the farmhouse. Liz never liked the noise of all the kids in her house so grandma hosted all the parties.

“I have to draw the line on a life of crime. Sorry kiddo.”

“Its OK, everyone has boundaries.” Annie replied. 

“Does Dale know? That you're out I mean.”

“I told her two years ago. She knows all my secrets.”

“Well I'm glad you told me. Your mother didn’t say a word.”

“She asked me how could I do this to them. She said she gave up so much for her family and this was her payback. I keep going back in my head, trying to figure out what she sacrificed. Could you help me?”

Abbey didn’t want to say anything. Liz graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth and had a very bright future ahead of her. She married Doug and suddenly it seemed as if all of his dreams, mostly of the pipe variety, took precedence. It would not be fair to say Abbey didn’t like Doug. She knew how much he loved Liz and their children. Well he used to anyway…lately he seemed to spend most of his time focused on himself.

She could see the strain tearing at the seams of the Westin family. Abbey was not sure the story would have a happy ending. Thank goodness Gus seemed clueless to the growing tension. Now that she thought about it, he seemed a bit clueless about everything. Oh lord, he had his father’s attention span. Liz struggled with him…Annie had been a breeze.

“Annie, I don’t know if you and your mother will ever see eye to eye. Of course she made sacrifices for you. She is a stay at home mom with a degree from an Ivy League University. She loves you very much and it probably hurts her that she does not understand you.”

“It’s not my fault that she doesn’t. She won't even try to have a decent conversation with me. Now that I'm out there is not a chance in hell that she will try.”

“Don’t give up on her.” her grandmother replied.

It really was too late, though Annie did not want to express those thoughts to her grandmother. In a year and a half she would be off to college; she did not plan to look back. Her mother could lead her perfect existence with Ward and the Beaver…Annie wanted to live in the real world.

“Do you plan to tell your grandfather about this?” Abbey asked.

“I will be with you guys for Christmas. I promise to talk to him then. I'm going to have to be gentle.”

“Yes, you are. I thought you were going to Philadelphia and your father’s family.”

“No.”

There was something about the way Annie said it. Abbey knew that was the final answer and she would not push it. Annie as so much like her that it was useless. She took a deep breath.

“Well sweetie, sometimes life is a bitch.”

“You said it grandma.” Annie laughed. “Are you guys coming home next week? I miss you so much.”

“Yes. I need my shopping partner for my last minute Christmas haul.”

“My Secret Service agents are really tired of shopping, I'm sure. I only have a few small things left to get. I should probably go now. Dale is on her way over for pizza and Scream.”

“Scary movies at Christmas?”

“They are good anytime of the year. Give grandpa a big hug and kiss for me…tell him that I love him. I love you grandma.”

“I love you too. These things will work out Annie. I already know there are a million wonderful things ahead of you. Goodnight darling.”

“Goodnight.”

Annie closed her cell phone and took a deep breath. She had done it; her grandmother knew. She would tell the rest of the family over the holiday though she would be sure not to do it on the big day. How would they react? Nonchalance…doubtful. Shock? Anger? Annie didn’t know but since she told her parents she was going to have to tell everyone else. 

Not that Liz was in any rush for her daughter’s sexual orientation to become public knowledge. Her mother’s feelings were not currently Annie’s top priority. However, she did not want to cause trouble for her grandfather. His Presidency had been on shaky ground lately; family ties even more so. Unfortunately, there was really no good time to rock the boat. The house phone rang and Annie walked across the living room to answer it.

“Westin Mortuary, you bag ‘em, we tag ‘em.”

“Ann Barrington Westin, why would you answer the phone that way?”

“Oh hey mom. I'm sorry, I thought it was Dale and I was goofing off.”

“Well, I was calling to check on you.” Liz said.

“I'm fine. Dale is on her way with pizza and movies. Don’t worry; we will not be engaging in any hot, teenage girl lust.”

“Why do you insist on being that way? It’s disrespectful.”

“Was it disrespectful to tell grandma and grandpa that I had a swim meet? You flat out told me that I could not come and spend time with my grandparents.”

“I don’t want to fight with you.” Liz said, sighing. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“There are about eight Secret Service agents around. I'm probably safer than anyone in New Hampshire.”

“Alright. Enjoy your evening with Dale. We will be home sometime tomorrow.”

“Well, I will see you then. Goodnight mom.”

Hanging up the phone, Annie saw the lights of her best friend’s Mustang pulling into the driveway. Only one night before they came back. She planned to make the most of it, especially since Dale most likely smuggled liquor from her father’s cabinet. It was Friday night and time to have some fun.

***


End file.
